Best Firewood to Burn in Your Fireplace

Why Your Firewood Choice Matters More Than You Think

The wood you load into your fireplace does more than create a cozy atmosphere. It directly affects how much heat your home receives, how quickly creosote builds inside your flue, and how often you will need a professional chimney cleaning. Choosing the wrong firewood can lead to excessive smoke, poor draft performance, and accelerated buildup that increases the risk of a chimney fire.

Hardwoods vs. Softwoods: Understanding the Basics

All firewood falls into two broad categories, and the distinction matters for both heat output and chimney health.

Hardwoods

Hardwoods come from deciduous trees that lose their leaves each fall. They are denser, burn longer, and produce significantly more heat per cord than softwoods. Hardwoods also generate less creosote because they burn more completely at higher temperatures. For Middle Tennessee homeowners who rely on their fireplace for supplemental heat during cold snaps, hardwoods are almost always the better investment.

The most popular hardwoods for fireplaces include oak, hickory, maple, ash, and cherry. Each has slightly different burning characteristics, but all outperform softwoods in heat output and burn duration.

Softwoods

Softwoods come from coniferous (evergreen) trees such as pine, cedar, spruce, and fir. They ignite quickly and produce a pleasant aroma, which makes them useful as kindling or for short, recreational fires. However, softwoods contain more sap and resin, which creates heavier smoke and faster creosote accumulation inside your flue. Burning softwoods exclusively as your primary fuel source will increase the frequency of professional cleanings you need and may compromise your chimney liner over time.

The Best Firewood Species Ranked by Heat Output

Heat output is measured in BTUs (British Thermal Units) per cord. A cord of wood is a tightly stacked pile measuring 4 feet wide, 4 feet tall, and 8 feet long. Here is how popular firewood species compare:

Oak is the gold standard of firewood, producing roughly 24 to 28 million BTUs per cord depending on whether it is white oak or red oak. It burns slowly and evenly, making it ideal for overnight fires. Hickory runs a close second at around 27 million BTUs per cord, with a distinctive smoky aroma that many homeowners enjoy. Hickory throws intense heat but can be difficult to split if it has not been seasoned first.

Maple falls in the middle range at approximately 20 to 24 million BTUs per cord, depending on the species. Sugar maple burns hotter than silver or red maple. Ash is a favorite among experienced wood burners because it splits easily, seasons relatively quickly, and burns cleanly at around 20 million BTUs per cord. Many chimney professionals consider ash one of the best all-around firewood choices.

Cherry produces moderate heat at roughly 20 million BTUs per cord but is prized for its pleasant, mild aroma and the attractive bed of coals it creates. Birch burns hotter than most softwoods but does not last as long as denser hardwoods, coming in at around 20 to 23 million BTUs per cord depending on the variety. On the softwood side, pine produces only about 15 to 17 million BTUs per cord and burns quickly, while cedar offers even less heat at roughly 13 million BTUs per cord but works well as a fire starter due to its natural oils.

Why Seasoning Is Just as Important as Species

Even the best hardwood will perform poorly if it has not been properly seasoned. Freshly cut wood, known as green wood, contains 40 to 60 percent moisture by weight. All that water must boil off before the wood can actually combust, which means green wood produces less heat, more smoke, and significantly more creosote than seasoned wood.

Properly seasoned firewood has a moisture content of 20 percent or less. Reaching that level typically requires splitting the wood and stacking it off the ground in a well-ventilated area for six to twelve months, depending on the species. Oak and hickory can take a full year to season properly, while ash and cherry may reach ideal moisture levels in as little as six months.

Firewood to Avoid Burning in Your Fireplace

Not all wood belongs in your fireplace. Burning the wrong materials can damage your chimney system, release toxic fumes into your home, and create dangerous conditions that put your family at risk.

Never burn treated lumber, painted wood, plywood, or particleboard. These materials contain chemicals that produce toxic smoke and can corrode your flue liner. Driftwood should also be avoided because salt-saturated wood releases chlorine compounds when burned. Green or freshly cut wood should be set aside for seasoning rather than burned immediately, as the excess moisture creates heavy creosote deposits.

Avoid burning large amounts of cardboard, wrapping paper, or magazines as supplemental fuel. These materials burn unpredictably and can send burning embers up your flue, potentially igniting any creosote deposits that have accumulated since your last cleaning.

Firewood Tips for Middle Tennessee Homeowners

Middle Tennessee’s climate creates some unique considerations for firewood selection and storage. Our relatively mild winters mean most homeowners use their fireplaces for supplemental heat and ambiance rather than as a primary heating source. That said, Nashville and the surrounding areas regularly experience cold snaps where temperatures drop into the teens or twenties, and a well-fueled fireplace becomes a genuine comfort.

The Nashville metro area, including communities like Murfreesboro, Franklin, Brentwood, and Mt. Juliet, has a mix of older homes with traditional masonry fireplaces and newer construction with prefabricated fireplace systems. Both benefit from quality hardwood fuel, but prefabricated systems are often more sensitive to excessive creosote buildup, making proper wood selection even more critical in newer homes.

Tennessee is rich in hardwood forests, so locally sourced oak, hickory, and cherry are readily available from firewood suppliers throughout the region. Buying local has the added benefit of reducing the risk of transporting invasive insects like the emerald ash borer, which has been identified in several Tennessee counties. Always ask your firewood supplier where the wood was harvested and whether it has been properly seasoned.

Store your firewood at least 20 feet from your home to discourage pests from migrating indoors. Stack it on a raised platform or pallets to keep it off the ground, and cover the top of the stack while leaving the sides open for air circulation. Middle Tennessee’s humid summers mean proper ventilation during the seasoning process is especially important to prevent mold growth on your stored wood.

How Your Firewood Choice Connects to Chimney Health

Every fire you burn deposits some amount of creosote inside your flue. The type and condition of your firewood directly influences how much creosote accumulates and how dangerous that buildup becomes. Burning seasoned hardwoods at proper temperatures keeps creosote deposits at a manageable level between annual cleanings. Burning green wood, softwoods, or smoldering fires consistently can accelerate buildup to the point where a chimney fire becomes a real possibility.

The National Fire Protection Association recommends having your chimney inspected and cleaned at least once per year, regardless of how often you use your fireplace. If you burn wood frequently throughout the winter months, you may benefit from a mid-season inspection to assess creosote levels. Our certified technicians at Allegiance Chimney Solutions provide thorough Level 1 and Level 2 inspections that document the condition of your flue and identify any issues before they become safety hazards.

Frequently Asked Questions About Firewood